Tale of the Victor
by Dymys the Unwritten
Summary: Finn and Jake fought for two days for an incredible house they didn't want, and lost anyways. But what about the one who did win? Where did she come from? How did she win? This is the story of Nesha and her new friend Durn as they break the rules and fight their way to victory, but what do they have to go through first?
1. Friends

Snow fell silently, as the night. Sunlight faded, and the poor young wolf padded through the frozen forest. He carried a letter in his teeth. For whom the letter was, he didn't know, but he did as he was told.

He shivered, not so much out of cold, but in fright, for he was told of the strangeness of the place, hidden deep within the Ice Kingdom, of how animals have ventured in, and never come out.

_What am I worried about?_ He thought as he walked. _Animals go missing all the time. Other animals eat them; it's the circle of life._ The reassurance nearly worked for him. Then a branch snapped and fell, overpowered by the heavy snow. _But I'm not looking for another animal. I'm looking for a witch._

A witch was what those who feared her would call her. And everything feared her. Nesha was a mysterious being who lived in complete solitude, because she also feared herself.

The wolf, known to his comrades by the name of Durn, shook on his paws, staring at the menacing destination. The thousand year old tree, frozen mid-fall in pikes and pillars of pure ice. Frozen air and water embraced the branches of the elder pine, trying to keep it up in death. Snowflakes held needles in place, and cracks allowed sap to flow. Durn whimpered.

He took another step, remembering his orders: _Leave the letter and go. Leave the letter and go._ He approached the opening of the icy fortress and laid the envelope in the packed snow, quickly turning tail to flee. He was cut short.

A wooden arrow whizzed past his muzzle and stuck into the ground before him. Instantly, a wall of thick ice shot up, blocking his path. He turned again, back toward the icy home, but another arrow closed him in. Surrounded by ice on all sides, he panicked like a pup in the dark.

Then a figure fell before him, outside the walls of his cage. "What brought you here, wolf?"

Nesha sounded strong, but her figure, though distorted through the ice, looked frail, young. Durn found himself staring, trying to make out details of her face, unknowing whether they would comfort him, or strike fear.

"Can you speak?" She demanded.

He shook his head and responded, "Yes miss, I can speak."

"Then tell me why you are here."

"I was sent to deliver a letter. It's there by your door."

She turned and picked up the envelope Durn had left. She took a moment to read it, and Durn hopelessly searched for an escape. Finally she spoke again. "Who sent it?"

"I can't tell you," Durn whined.

She quickly knocked an arrow and drew it back, ready to fire. Durn didn't deny that she would be able to shot him through her own ice barricade, but intended to keep the secret regardless.

She sensed the determination in him, through the fear. She knew the animal would not subject to intimidation as easily as others. Plus, she didn't really like making people fear her.

She took the arrow and scrapped it along the surface of the ice wall and it cracked, falling apart like a sand castle under a wave. Durn gazed at her face for too long, absorbing her glistening beauty which portrayed in the strangest way. "You're made of ice," he whispered.

"Yes," she frowned, "Now please tell me who sent you."

Durn sighed, knowing better than to give away his master's identity. "I can't tell you," Though he wanted to. He wanted to find friendship in her that would save him from his master's cruelty.

"Yes," she said quietly, reaching down to pet his head, "you can." Her hand, though made of ice, sent warm feelings through Durn's skull. Was it a spell?

Durn looked at her. She wasn't smiling, but he felt like she was happy to see him. He wanted to like her, truly, but if it was a spell and she betrayed him, he would answer to his master's punishments.

Nesha pulled away. "You think I'm fooling you?"

Had she read his mind? "N-n-no, miss… I –"

"You do, you fear the person who sent you more than you trust me."

She was spot on, all Durn could do was look at her. He was aria to trust her. "I'm afraid of you, and him."

"Fair enough," she said. "Since the letter is instructing me to go to the Ice King's castle, why don't we go together? The Ice Kingdom can be pretty scary if you travel alone."

Durn whimpered. He wasn't supposed to stay with her. He was instructed to return the way he had come.

Suddenly, he saw no harm in it. What could go wrong? As long as he made it back anyway, right?

He nodded, still scared out of his wits, but a little more comfortable in her presence. She half-smiled, and with another touch of an arrow, the entire ice wall crumbled to snow.

"Let us make our way to the castle then." She stood and began making her way out of the dense forest.

Durn begrudgingly followed. He had made the deal with her, and the deal sort of worked out with his original plans. He could stick with her and find their way back to where he was supposed to be.

After some time walking, he grew rather bored and decided to make conversation. "So," he began, "how did you figure out the letter's riddle so quickly?"

"It was easy, really. There were all kinds of folds in the paper that made out to look like pointed tops. Those tops pointed to certain letters that spelled Ice King." She was impressed by the original mode of trivial messaging, and pleased with herself for figuring it out so quickly.

"That's amazing," Durn complimented. "I never would have figured it out."

"I'm sure an idea would have sparked in your brilliant mind sooner or later." Nesha patted his head again and he smiled. He had never known such kindness.

"So," he tried to keep going, "where does an ice girl come from?"

"I am meager ice sculpture given life from the lost spirit of an ancient huntress." She said it with such a serious tone, it kind of worried Durn. Then she looked down at him and smiled. "I'm only joking. I don't really know how I'm alive. Some magic spell a long time ago animated me, or maybe transformed me. I don't have any memory beyond about fifty years ago, when I woke up in that treehouse."

_Fifty years!_ Durn thought, _is she really that old?_

"If I can even really call it a treehouse," she mentioned.

"It's a tree, and your house," Durn said, attempting to joke. "What more do you need?"

Nesha snickered. "You're right, it is my house." She laughed a little more, which inspired a little laughter from Durn, too. Then, "Hey, I don' think I got your name."

"Oh, I'm Durn," he answered before thinking. After he realized he'd told her, he saw no harm. "I'm the youngest in my pack, so Fenris gave me the task of sending the letter to you."

"Fenris, huh?" Nesha stroked her chin and glanced at him. Durn silently cursed himself for giving away the information so willingly. She laughed some more. "Well, I can't wait to meet this 'Fenris.' What's he like?"

"Oh, I really shouldn't tell you. He wants to meet with you personally."

"Okay, can you tell me about the contest he's hosting?" She was really eager to get info from him.

"Contest?" He looked at her. "I don't know anything about a contest." It was true too. He wasn't told anything other than to deliver the letter.

"Oh really?" She glanced at him sideways again, obviously not believing him. "Well, it was in the letter that he had chosen me to compete against heroes of all kinds for a prize unlike any other."

Durn's eyes widened. "Wow," he said, "I wish he had chosen me, if the prize is really that great."

Nesha laughed, "Don't worry Durn, I'll share it with you."

Durn couldn't believe how hospitable she was, especially in contrast to how she acted when he'd first shown up. He laughed with her and they walked for a while, telling stories and jokes, making merry and all that. Durn was glad to have finally found a friend.

"Okay, so tell me," Nesha insisted as they continued walking, "how does the hierarchy really work with wolves?"

"What's a 'hierarchy'?" Durn asked.

"A hierarchy, my dear wolf, is the social ladder of a functioning society." A blank stare was all she got. "Just tell me who's in charge and why."

"Oh, my dad's in charge because he's oldest."

"So he's the alpha wolf?"

Durn sighed, "Is that what you were getting at?"

"Well, sort of, what's wrong?" She stopped and kneeled closer to him.

"That whole _alpha wolf_ thing is a bunch of hoopla," Durn explained, disheartened. "We run more by family matters. I'm the youngest, so I have the least influence. Any lone wolves that would join our pack would be sent to the end of the 'ladder' until they proved themselves to my father to be worthy of a higher position."

"What if they're younger than you?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "We've never accepted any lone wolves."

"Aww," Nesha wrapped a frozen hand around Durn and hugged him. Despite her icy nature, the hug was infinitely warm for him. "Well, you're _my_ alpha wolf."

The sun was coming up as the Ice King's castle came within sight. Durn and Nesha gazed at the glowing ice in the rising sunlight. Nesha whistled, "What a view."

"Yeah," they paused. "Well, let's go," Durn urged.

"Whoa whoa whoa…" Nesha stopped him. "Do you have any idea what we're looking for in there?"

Durn rubbed his chin, then said, "Not a clue."

"Then we can't just go in there. We need to come up with a plan."

"Right."

They sat on the ground and thought for a few minutes. A few long minutes.

Nesha had a plan of her own, but felt like giving Durn a chance to come up with something. Meanwhile, Durn was just silently waiting for Nesha to come up with something.

Finally, Durn got bored. "Why don't we just wait until nighttime?"

"Great idea!" She praised him. It was partly her idea as well. "But if he leaves sometime during the day, we could have a chance to sneak in then." Nesha knew all too well about how often Ice King left his castle to go around and search for princesses to capture.

"That sounds good." He held out his paw and Nesha shook it. "It's a deal; we'll wait for the ice king to leave and sneak in."

"And if we have to, we'll wait until tonight."

Then, Durn's ears pricked. Nesha caught it. "What's wrong?"

"I thought I heard something." He glanced down a hill and spotted a polar bear running toward the Ice Castle. "Stop!" He shouted, and began chasing.

Nesha ran too, but couldn't hardly keep up.

Durn ran after the polar bear with all his might, knowing that the animal had heard the conversation and intended to tell Ice King about their plan. He tackled the bear and they rolled through the snow. Unfortunately, the bear was bigger and ultimately pinned Durn down. "No," the bear growled, "I must warn the Ice King." He raised a massive paw the strike Durn, but an arrow stopped him. It pierced his neck and froze him solid. Durn was mortified.

Nesha shoved the bear off of Durn and the wolf staggered away. "You just shot that animal!"

"He was about to kill you!"

Durn stuttered. "Well, y-you… but, Agh…" He paced quickly. "That's the food chain. Bigger, stronger animals eat little ones."

"He wasn't going to eat you," Nesha argued, "he was going to kill you and tell Ice King of our plan."

Durn growled some more. "NO, that's not right."

"Look," Nesha sighed, "You're right about the food chain. I'm stronger, and now I can eat a bear." Durn just glared at her. "Well, what was I supposed to do? I didn't want him killing my friend!"

Durn's scowl fell. Friend?

"We're… we're friends?"

"Of course, we've been through so much together now, I freakin' killed bear to save your life!"

Durn looked at the dead bear. She had a point, now they could eat a bear. It would be more like a feast. "You're right." He smiled at her. She smiled back.

"All right, well," she breathed heavily. She was pretty wiped out, having never argued with anyone before. "Let's eat."


	2. Ice

They slept in shifts during the day, keeping watch for other signs of danger, or if the Ice king left at all. He never did.

When night fell, the two sneaked up the narrow pathway that led up to the front door of the Ice King's castle. There was no actual door, but an open archway that led directly inside.

The room was dark and mysterious, with all kinds of strange things to be seen, which could not have been suspected in an evil wizard's castle. There was a cage with ice bars, of course. Then there was a drum set and electric keyboard, a little arm chair with a projection screen in the seat, a bunch of dumbbells and workout stuff, a fancy bed with a fabulous leopard fur blanket beside a basket filled with dirty laundry, and a pile of board games in the corner.

_Weird,_ thought Durn as they looked around. _What kind of king is he? _

Nesha was having the same thoughts, but didn't spend much time on it. She knew she was here for a reason. They left through a door in the back and found their way around. First they found a very clean, white bathroom, then a flight of stairs. Durn insisted on following them right away, but Nesha felt more like exploring the first floor some more.

With careful inspection, she uncovered a secret room filled with all kinds of ninja weapons, and an old-looking book. Nesha is not interested.

They are about to leave the secret cave, when a thought comes to Durn. "Hey," he says, "if the Ice King never left, then why is his bed empty."

Nesha realizes his point and sighs. "Because he's still awake somewhere," she says. "We're going to have to be more careful."

"But where is he?" Durn whispers harshly.

Nesha was about to answer when they hear the Ice King's humming. "Hide," she instructs Durn quietly before taking an arrow from her quiver and, touching the tip to the floor, recovering the broken ice of the secret doorway. She then dives behind a pedestal holding a pair of ice-nun chucks. Durn curled up behind the book stand.

After a few seconds, the humming stops. Nesha sees Ice King's silhouette through the thin ice door and hears his muffled speech. "Oh, I felt a draft," he says quietly, "that's strange." Then his tone grows angry and he blasts around with ice lightning. "Who's been using ice magic in my home?!" One of the blasts breaks through the secret door and Durn whimpers in fright.

Ice King's barrage ceases. Nesha watches silently as he approaches the doorway, looking for the source of the little whine. "I can sense your heat, whoever you are." He starts creeping up to the book stand, starting a little spark of ice lightning in his hand as an evil smile crept across his face.

Nesha jumped out then and knocked an arrow, calling "Hey" as she did.

"Wha…" Ice King turned, confused, "who are you?" Without waiting for a response, he swung his arms in a wide arc, releasing a terrifying spray of bluish white streams of ice magic at the intruder. Nesha released her arrow at him and the magic stream stopped, forming a wall of ice in mid-air. The arrow flew forward, and Ice King was sure it would be stopped by his shield.

When the tip of the arrow made contact with the ice, it instantly shriveled away, leaving just enough room for the shaft and fletching to pass through without diverting its course. It continued to fly straight for Ice King.

Thinking fast, the wizard made another sweep of his arm and a gust of wind blew the arrow upward, sticking into the icy ceiling. The wood was quickly encased in frozen stalactites.

Nesha fired another arrow at the spikes created by the previous. It hit before Ice King could intercede and broke the ice that kept the vicious spike in place. I fell quickly. Ice King barely had time to use his magic beard to fly backward and avoid being impaled.

"Who _are _you?" He asked again, though he seemed genuinely curious now.

Durn jumped on his back then, tackling him to the ground where he hit his head and fell unconscious.

As the Ice King's eyes creaked open, the sun glared off the shiny ice walls of the castle. When the old man finally did wake up, he found himself completely tied down. His arms and legs were bound by solid rope to a wooden chair. He looked around in a panic and saw himself in his own bedroom (which was also his dungeon) with a mysterious hooded girl staring down at him.

"Who are you?" This time he demanded. "And what do you want?"

"That's what I want to know," Nesha said.

"You got this chair from my The Past room didn't you? And this rope?"

"Well, we couldn't tie you down with ice," She said smoothly, stroking his beard, "wouldn't want you melting your way out."

He snapped his teeth at her and she backed off, then a little brown wolf growled at him. "Okay, so you know who I am," he offered, which wasn't entirely true, "But who are you?"

Nesha sighed and slowly removed her hood. Ice King gaped at the site.

"You're made of ice?" He gawked. "Did I make you?"

"No, Ice King, you didn't make me."

"Okay, then who are you?"

Nesha was getting tired of him asking that. "I'm getting to that!" She howled. Then she sighed again, "Even though I don't totally know, myself."

"Oh well that's okay," Ice King sympathized, "I don't know a whole lot about my past either. That's why I have my _The Past _room. I spent all day down there reading stuff and some of it was pretty crazy."

"What are you talking about?" Durn insisted.

"Well, little wolfy," Ice King struggled to pat Durn on the head, but had no luck, "I have a room full of stuff that I have no idea about. Like, I don't know where it came from, I don't know who Simon is or why he knows so much about my crown… Though, the more I think about it, people have been calling _me_ Simon for a while. So, whoever he was, he must have brainwashed all my friends into thinking I am him. Yes, that must be it." He gave a cute little smile that showed just how childishly dumb he was.

Nesha stared at him for a while, and he smiled back.

"Pretty crazy right?" Ice King winked at her.

"Umm…" Durn bumped into her with his head and she shook off her confusion. "Well, we need to know what this is about." She showed him the letter she had received.

He barely glanced at it for a second before getting off track again. "I dunno. Hey, why doesn't your hood have a cape?"

"What?"

"Your hood, it doesn't have a cape. Why? I mean, I've seen hoods, but they always have this cool cloak, cowl, cape part to it. Or at least a nice sweater."

Nesha huffed in frustration at the nearly unbearable stupidity of this innocent-minded old fool. "It's so I can reach my arrows, in my quiver." She twisted to show the old man the little leather pocket – with feather fletching on sticks jutting out – hanging from her shoulder.

"Well, okay that makes sense."

"Good now –"

"But then, why would you bother where a hood at all?"

"To hide my face," she was getting angry.

"A mask could do that pretty well, too."

"Gaah, shut up! A mask would deter my vision, okay? Now tell me how to get to Fenris!"

Ice King's eyes widened. "Oh, you want to get to Fenris? Yeah he opened up this secret door in my bathroom and I didn't like that. So, I closed it up for good. I haven't heard from him since."

"Thank you," Nesha sighed, finally relieved. "How do I open it?"

"Oh, you need to have my special ice powers for that." Ice King paused for a moment, then added, "Which you seem to have. Where'd you get those anyway?"

"I was born with them. Now, I've been in your bathroom and didn't see any door."

"Well that's because I hid it."

Nesha squeezed the bridge of her nose in frustration. Then she heard a little noise from across the room. When she looked a penguin was waving its flippers at her screeching "wenk" every now and again. Then it turned and slid away, so she continued. "I kind of guessed as much," she took a step closer and crossed her arms furiously. "If I untie you, will you show me where the door is?"

"Sure, you seem like a nice gal, you should really visit sometime."

With that, she had Durn claw apart the ropes that held the geezer to his chair. She was afraid Ice King might complain that she was ripping up parts of his past, but he didn't really say anything. When he was free he motioned for the two to follow and waddled through the doorway to his bathroom.

"Here we go," he called once inside the clean white room. It was so clean Nesha had to wonder if the Ice King ever even used it. "Since you can't see it, I'll just go ahead and use my ice powers to open it for you." He turned and began chanting strange words that Nesha thought were pretty made up. Then, to her surprise, a red streak glowed across the floor in a straight line. The red light slowly widened until it reached the breadth of about the size of a regular door. Then an actual door appeared; solid wood, with a shiny brass knob and a keyhole.

Ice King waved his hand in front of his face and streaks of blue flashed into the form of an ice key that fit perfectly into the keyhole. He turned it, then turned and asked, "When will you be coming back through?"

Nesha looked to Durn and shrugged.

Durn sighed, he didn't want to give out any more information. But he knew he trusted Nesha. "Fenris has arranged an exit for each contestant."

"Ooh, 'contestant' eh? You gonna play some kind of game show?" Ice King nudged Nesha with his shoulder.

"Not exactly," Durn said, with a face that said "you couldn't be more wrong."

"Regardless," Nesha interrupted, "I should probably get going."

"Nesha wait," Something in Ice King's eyes changed from completely deranged, to caring old man. "You need to be careful with your magic. With great power –"

"Comes great responsibility," Nesha interrupted, "Where have I heard that before?" She rolled her eyes.

"You don't understand," Ice King grabbed her shoulders, "you are taking it too lightly. All magic comes with a price, and those who cannot pay it will be left a meager shell of what they were. I warn you now, in your prime, to beware the power of ice, for the price of this magic will seep into your mind and take control of your past. That is its price." He closed his eyes as they welled with tears. "All must pay it, and when the payment is complete, you will be left a shell, a scar on the mortal plain, left to wander, hated, feared, and you shall never fade lest you lose the power you had sought for so long. For so long, I have sought this power, and I am nothing more than that, a fading wound, a grim reminder of what my seeking has done, of how I have changed."

"Wenk!"

He opened his eyes and saw a little penguin in his hands where he had been holding Nesha. "Gunter, did I lose my marbles again?"

The penguin nodded.


	3. Rules

A brief moment of uncertainty filled the two as the world spun. The opening of the door was horizontal, how could the other side be vertical?

Neither Nesha nor Durn could re-orient themselves to the unstable re-evaluation of gravity, and ended up on top of one another in a jumbled mess. Grunts and grumbles ensued as they righted themselves from the awkward fall.

A quick glance around gave Nesha a good sight of her surroundings; unfortunately, there wasn't much to take in. A massive empty field, set with rolling hills, was set before them. A dim light barely allowed any vision to the distance, and a gentle breeze blew the inch-long grass to furrow into waves of pleasance. Durn felt the comfortable grass underneath his paws and grew uncomfortable as he forced himself to ignore the welcoming feeling. He knew it was a trap.

"Nesha," he whispered harshly. He couldn't finish his warning, because behind them the door slammed shut. They both swung around, and Durn whimpered anxiously. He didn't know what would happen, but he knew Fenris was all about setting traps to the entrances of his home.

Nesha reached for the handle, but before she reached it the dim glow in the plain instantly enlightened into a painful brightness. The two shielded their eyes from the pseudo-sunlight until they realized it had no real effect on them.

Her eyes adjusted and Nesha quickly uncovered her eyes. The plain remained unchanged save for the brighter glow and increased seeing distance. With a hand at her brow to block out glare, she caught the glimpse of what looked like another door in the distance. "Let's go check it out," she invited.

"Check what out?" Durn had still not uncovered his eyes. She had expected him to be more comfortable by now, and to have seen the door like she had.

"The door," she specified, "down the hill and to the –" she realized she had no idea of direction in this place, and just pointed "—that way."

Durn slowly uncovered his eyes and looked in the direction she pointed. It was downhill from their current position, right into a kind-of bowl. "I think it's a trap," he said plainly.

"The trap was the sunlight," she reasoned. "But I don't think it was really for us." She had a hunch, but she didn't have many facts, and didn't want to pry them out of Durn.

The wolf, on the other hand, was indeed rethinking the facts. He now understood what the trap was, but wasn't sure if Nesha knew. He considered telling her, but didn't want to interrupt what he believed was deep thought.

"So, if that was the extent of the trap…" Nesha offered.

"Then we may as well move along," Durn finished.

The two stepped down the hill casually until they made it to the bottom. The door was much more simple than the one they had come through, but they gave it little attention. The brass knob turned easily and the door swung inward without a sound.

On the other side were more doors. At least, that's what Nesha noticed first. She quickly readied her bow and notched an arrow, anything could come out of those doors. Two floors of a massive foyer with hardly any wall space. What wall was visible had a deep red color, to match the carpet.

"I had no idea there were more ways into this place," Durn gawked at the countless entrances and exits.

"You've been here?" Nesha asked counting the different entrances and exits; she counted 98. She also made a note of the massive chandelier hanging over the center of the room, which gave the red room a supernatural essence.

"Well, never to this room," Durn explained, "but this is Fenris' mansion."

"Welcome," came a booming voice from across the room. "Welcome to my humble mansion."

Nesha smirked as she moved to see the cloaked figure of a man standing on the banister around the chandelier. "I don't think those words really work well in the same sentence."

"Yes, of course," he allowed, "welcome to my mansion. Accept my humble gratitude."

Nesha offered a polite curtsey, but it held far too much sarcasm to be truly diplomatic. She looked back and Durn was quivering. "You must be Fenris," she called, looking back up.

"Ah, so my little messenger has given you the information," Fenris guessed.

"Only your name and, well I kind of forced it from him," she smiled at Durn, thinking of how scared he was when they first met. "I figured the rest out on my own."

"How noble," the old man complimented in his massive voice. "Regretfully, that will be all the information you will be getting out of him." A _whoosh _of black raced by her face, she heard a whimper and she knew that Fenris had Taken Durn.

She spun, clearing the darkness from her eyes, and came back around with an arrow knocked and aimed for Fenris on his balcony. "You had better not hurt him," she threatened.

"Such ferocity," he offered coolly, "do I detect a hint of vengeance. Your voice is so very boisterous –"

"Yeah, yours too," she interrupted, "now where's my friend?!"

Fenris smiled a wide, cold smile that glowed from under the shadow of his hood. "Please stop and think, dear. I would hate for you to make me angry before I have gotten past formalities." When she didn't lower her bow, he gave a little more incentive. "You said you had figured everything out on your own, and you got here so early. That means you must have been pretty quick to solve it. If that's true, you should know why you should be frightened by me, and not the other way around. If you were lying, I'll generously give the wolf his dues and forfeit you."

Nesha had no problem with that; she knew she could figure it out. She lowered her bow and took a deep breath. _Look at the clues,_ she told herself. _Durn, a wolf, he knows a lot about this guy, even says that he lives in the same mansion right? With his whole family._ An idea came to her, but she made sure to go over more facts. _The size of his home, and its seclusion from… well, _reality_, would suggest he has quite a bit of power. And his name, Fenris, where have I heard that before?_

Her eyes opened wide. The evidence was irrefutable, "You're a werewolf." More thoughts flowed by in a flash, _what was the one, centuries-old dispute infamous to all mythical creatures? _"More than that, a vampire hunter. And given your current state of living, I'd say you're quite reputable."

"I think you might be misusing that word," he said, "but yes. You've quite a brilliant mind, and while I may never know of the thought process such brilliance involves, I can tell you good ways to exploit it."

"I don't want to exploit anything," Nesha growled, drawing her bow again, "I just want my friend back."

Fenris shook his head. "Dear Nesha," he began. "I have been watching you, your fighting style, your ways of life. I know how to fight you, easily. I know nearly all that I need, with the exception of your allegiance."

Nesha scowled at him, "What are you talking about."

"Allegiance, alignment, whatever you call it," the old man explained. "The way you perform in your agency. I can never predict what decisions you'll make, or how you'll act. For instance now I surely thought you would have lowered your weapon to speak civilly, and yet you still see me as a threat."

"You did just take my friend," Nesha growled though her teeth.

"Indeed, 'friend,'" The man stood silently for a time. "That only adds to my confusion, believing you would not be at home and so sending my wolf to deliver the message, or at least believing you would not waste your time capturing the poor beast. Then I certainly had no idea you would bother befriending him. Of course, since you have it will make things easier for me."

"You better start making sense old man!"

Fenris raised his hands to calm her. "The number of surprises you hold are uncanny, and I will do my best to explain. The split second understanding of the encrypted letter I sent, along with the capture and interrogation of The Ice King brought you here a day before I expected. And now, since you are not entirely willing to participate –" then under his breath "—due to personal mistake – I can now use this little wolf as leverage."

Nesha's eyes grew wide. "You wouldn't dare," But his smile tipped her off and she fired. The arrow flew directly at him with deadly accuracy and stuck into his gut without fail. But something was wrong. Her ice magic didn't activate, and the arrow didn't even seem to harm him.

He snapped the fletching off the arrow and quickly jerked the shaft fully through his body and out the other side. "What a waste," he sighed tossing the pieces away.

Then he was in front of her with a clamp-like grip on her wrists. "Now listen here girl. You have piqued my interest in your ways as a huntress, but you are quickly trying my patience. I have chosen you to participate in my contest for a chance to win my mansion. If not for my mansion –" he looked directly at her with his glowing yellow eyes "—then for your new _friend!_"

Nesha tried not to show how afraid she was, but it was difficult with how he was crushing her wrists. She tried to cover that up with her anger. They ended up glaring into each other's eyes for three long minutes before Nesha bailed. "Fine," she hissed.

He released her and smiled. Then with a snap of his fingers, Nesha's bow was gone and replaced by a crinkly, old, rolled-up parchment. Her arrows were all gone, too. She saw that they were in Fenris' hands, which made her even angrier. Fenris stopped her from doing anything, "Those are the rules. Follow them attentively if you ever wish to see your precious wolf again. Read them," he turned and began walking out, "then feel free to explore the grounds. Since you showed up early, you get the chance of learning your surroundings before the contest officially begins." He stopped just before the doorway and faced her once again. "As long as you put on a good show, you can have him back after you've been defeated."

Then he walked through the door there and disappeared. Nesha shouted after him, "Why don't I just win?" She didn't know what the purpose of it was, but she felt right in saying it. "'After I'm defeated,'" she scoffed.

The paper made a crackling noise, like stepping on dry leaves, while she hurried to open it.

Fenrir Estate Competition

All rules are to be followed. Any failure to comply with given instructions shall be penalized.

All outside weapons are to be confiscated from each participant.

Only one magical item per competitor.

Once a blow deemed by me as a "kill-shot" has been dealt to a player, they must find their way back to the courtyard to be release and given a compilation prize.

Only traditional weapons or magic are to be used. Any use of technology is strictly prohibited.

All fighting is to be held until the beginning of the tournament.

Undead are not permitted.

"Tch," she scoffed again, "He misspelled 'released.'"

She walked out the doorway after Fenris, but of course he wasn't on the other side. Instead she found herself alone in a courtyard the size of all Ice King's secret rooms combined. There was so much space, an entire garden, even a couple of trees could fit without deterrence. Not that any of that stuff was there. The entire area was patches of green grass and dirt.

"You ought to put something decorative here," Nesha called. Then she added, "When I win, I'm planting a whole bunch of trees. And maybe I'll even have a garden!" She looked around waiting for a response from the old mysterious man, but none came.

Looking up, her gaze was caught by an abnormal disturbance of sunlight. Walking around what she thought she saw, she guessed it was some kind of cube that was made to look invisible. She dug up a rock and hurled it up at the curious anomaly. The rock hit nothing and came falling straight back down.

Nesha thought there must be some strange magic at work on that, whatever it is. "So what kind of magic do you practice?" She pretended to be interested, and tried to make conversation. "Clearly some powerful stuff, if you fight vampires. More than that, though. You're able to vanish into thin air, even do the same with my _friends,_ and weapons." Then another thought came to her, "Oh yeah, and stop my ice magic from freezing you solid! Where'd you learn your abilities?" There was no answer, but Nesha waited for quite a while. "Come on, give me something to do! When does the thing start? What am I supposed to do until then?" Still no answer came, so Nesha dropped her hood and waltzed off through one of the doors.

"Please, this wasn't part of the deal," Durn pleaded with his master. "This wasn't part of the deal."

Fenris growled. "Leading the competitor to the mansion was also not part of the deal."

"I'm sorry," the wolf whimpered. "I had no choice she terrified me."

Fenris lunged at the wolf, scaring him to the back of the iron cage. "You should be more terrified of me."

Durn's whole body shook with fright, rattling the cage.

Fenris stood and smiled, "But I thought you were friends with her."

"We are friends," Durn admitted. Saying it out loud made him feel empowered, and he stood tall again. "And that's the reason I'll get back to her, and stay with her."

"That's sweet," Fenris made like he was touched, "but there are rules to follow. If you leave this cage before your friend is finished playing her part, I'll make certain that you never see her again."

Durn knew he should be afraid, but he just wasn't. Why was he so inspired by being friends with the girl he met two days ago? Then another idea hit him. "Where's my family?"

"Each of your relatives followed through with their instructions and returned safely," Fenris jeered. "They must be so disappointed in their youngest for having failed his respective duties."

Durn felt belittled, but still not afraid. At least not of Fenris. He now had only fear of his father's reaction for letting down his family. Also, he would never be able to live up to this; his sisters would remind him of it every day for the rest of his life.


	4. Strangers

Nesha found just about anything she could imagine in this building; from bedrooms, to washrooms, to weaponries, to libraries. She felt good about getting the chance to scout the place out before the contest began, it would give her a tremendous advantage over the competition. Though, despite all the extra rooms, she had cleared two whole wings of the building before the day was half over. She figured she might as well take the tour more in-depth.

As she made her way to the third hall, her stomach growled. Of all the things about her human side – if she had one – had been changed, her hunger remained. To her relief, one of the very next rooms she found was a kitchen, though completely abandoned.

Using what knowledge she had, she cooked up a couple hunks of venison and tossed a salad. The leftovers wrapped up nicely in wax paper and tucked into a deep pocket on her jerkin.

The sun was still up, but now definitely sinking, she figured there were only three of four hours of sunlight left. Then again, she knew very little about this place, and the sun might never go down. Despite how much more sunlight was available she wanted to get a good mental map of the grounds before anybody else arrived.

After some searching, and finding many more bedrooms, she came across a library. She had been to a library before in the household, but this one was different, mainly in size. Where the other libraries were simply one or two walls stacked with books, this room had every wall filled with leather spines and even loose paper.

She figured she might as well spend some time on here, with one particular thought. "I wonder if these are where he learned his spells." She didn't care that she said it aloud, only that she might be able to find out what kind of magic the man might be hiding.

One book in particular caught her attention. "He's gonna regret leaving me alone now."

Durn watched helplessly from his cage while the old man set up screen upon screen, stacking high his visual surveillance of the building. Durn couldn't count, but he had to guess there were at least fifty screens stacked against the wall. He wondered where a person could get so many screens.

Fenris flipped a switch behind them and they all flickered to life, letting out a horrible buzz that made the wolf whine and struggle to cover his ears. Fenris chuckled, "What's the matter little wolf, scared?"

Durn growled, though the old man was so wrong it should have been funny.

"Keep your calm, once the contest is over – assuming you and your _friend_ have followed all the rules – you'll be free to go." Fenris tapped the cage and laughed a little more. "Now, I'm going to need you to go. I'll be receiving a guest…" he paused and looked out at the setting sun, "… hopefully soon. He will be staying in here with me during the contest and I can't have you stinking up the place with your foul mood."

"Convincing," Durn crossed, "but your trick won't get me to leave. Your rule was to stay in the cage, so I'll follow it."

"Your determination is admirable," Fenris applauded, "but it wasn't a trick. You will stay in your cage, but in a different room. A room off limits to the contestants and a room I will be watching carefully." He pointed behind him and a screen flickered to show the image of the corner of a room. Durn couldn't see the rest of the room, but it didn't matter. As long as he followed the rule, Fenris would let him go and he could be with Nesha again.

Just then, another screen flickered to light. Fenris turned around to see Nesha exiting the library. "Oh my," he sighed, "don't make me regret allowing your entry."

Luckily for Nesha, the screen revealed her just after the moment she found what she was looking for; a spell book. Most of the spells she read about sounded close to what she had seen Fenris use.

She had no time to hide it, and she was worried that he might be watching him, so she only put it back. She would have to come back to it when she had time.

Fenris watched as she traveled from screen to screen, memorizing rooms and furniture. One by one, each monitor flashed to life, in order. Then, one off to the side came alight and caught the old man's attention. A new stranger had arrived in the foyer and Fenris grew excited.

"I'm afraid this is as long as you'll be staying here," he said to the wolf in the cage. "The contestants will be arriving now, and I have no need for you."

With that, the werewolf lord snapped his fingers and all Durn saw was darkness for a few seconds. After his eyes adjusted, he noticed he was in a child's playroom, the floor littered with noise making, brightly colored toys. The walls were decorated with rainbows, a smiling sun, flowers and bees, everything you couldn't find anywhere else in this mansion. The lights were off and the windows shaded, leaving him alone in muted darkness.

_ Doesn't matter,_ he thought, _as long as I don't leave he'll leave me alone. _

"Welcome adventurer," Fenris boomed to the newcomer in his home. "Welcome to my mansion."

"Yeah yeah," the boisterous man responded, "now where's my cash."

"I would have suspected a mercenary such as you to get straight to business," Fenris admired, "but you should understand that you do not get anything –"

"But this dumb letter says I can get a reward beyond my wildest dreams!" The man hefted his heavily armored arm to shake the paper in Fenris' direction.

"I never would have guessed," Fenris said under his breath, "that someone who figured out his riddle so quickly would have such a hard time understanding what the letter says." He gave a light chuckle. "This one ought to be entertaining."

"What are you laughing at old man," the stranger demanded. "Who are you, anyway? What kind of sicko leaves a letter like this then doesn't live up to his promise?"

"The 'promise' was that you would compete for a prize beyond imagination," Fenris explained.

The mercenary rolled his eyes. "I know what the letter _said_, but I also know there won't _be_ any competition with me here."

Fenris laughed some more. "Strong-headed," he said silently, "and I just thought he was dumb."

"You like talking to yourself old man?" The strange man said, scratching at the massive plates of armor at his chest, as if he was scratching his own skin. "Why don't you answer my question from earlier?"

"Of course," Fenris said kindly. "I am Fenris, gracious owner of this mansion, and host of the contest."

"I kind of guessed that," he rolled his eyes again. "I am –"

"Cain," Fenris interrupted, "the most notorious mercenary in the land of Ooo."

The stranger hesitated. Then, "That's right. You must know all about me." His response had a bit of a sarcastic tone.

"Indeed, I know quite a bit. I've had my eye on you, as well as the others who will be attending. I will be choosing an heir, you see –"

"And you need the best guy to do it!" Cain guessed. "Well, you don't have to search any more, I'm pretty much the best candidate around. You said it yourself, 'the most note-less mercenary in Ooo.'"

"Yet hardly the brightest," Fenris remarked under his breath. "I'm afraid that's not how it works," he explained, "For your notoriety is only half the battle, as the saying goes. You will be competing, as I've stated, for the honor of inheriting this mansion from me in my retirement."

"Retirement from what?" Cain demanded suddenly. "How'd you get so stinkin' rich anyway?"

"When I was younger," Fenris began, "my family lived on the streets. There was war, we were hopeless. Monsters harassed us day and night, but my father knew how to keep them at bay. Then one day, something we'd never seen before assaulted us. The one being's pure strength proved too strong for my father. My mother hid me beneath a sewer grate, and I watched as the vile creature drained my parents of their vital essence, guzzling down every drop of blood from their bodies."

"So you're like a vampire hunter?"

Fenris bit back the insult; had the younger generations really forgotten so much about him? "I was infamous! After tracking down the vampire that killed my family I struck a deal with a lycan for his gift of strength and immortality, bearing the curse of the full moon so that I may have my revenge. For decades I have hunted and slain countless blood-sucking devils to satisfy the beast in me!"

"Then why are you retiring?"

Fenris growled. In less than a second there was a sword in his hand and he was dashing through the air toward Cain. The old man couldn't stop himself, "You will hold your tongue you ignorant fool!"

Fenris was astonished to see that Cain had blocked the assault. In the split second Fenris allowed, Cain had drawn the hammer from his back and used it to intercept the blade, which held a strange violet aura.

"You're quick," Fenris admitted before jumping back.

"It helps to have some muscle," Cain retorted, hefting the hammer to rest on his shoulder.

"Regardless of what you can do to fight me, I am not your opponent in these next hours." Fenris waved his hand and the sword disappeared. "Prepare yourself for anything, and everything." Another wave of his hand and Cain's hammer vanished, along with the shield that was on his back, followed by Fenris himself – before listening to any disagreement.

Nesha continued wandering, eventually stumbling upon a massive weapon storage. Swords, spears, bows, maces, any kind of weapon she could think of, existed in this room, along with many more seemingly imaginary weapons. Each weapon shimmered with an ominous purple glow.

As she bent down to inspect a bow, an awkward little blue man with no face scampered past and scooped it up. She was about to shout at him, but noticed that many other little people were also coming and going, taking weapons. She didn't feel like stopping them, thinking that either they were working for Fenris or against him. Either way she didn't want to interrupt.

She was about to leave the storage when she heard a harsh ring, like the striking of a small bell. Close by, she noticed a long sword, steaming, leaning against a pile of identical swords. Was that there earlier? Another bell sound echoed from farther in the room. She followed it to the far end of the room, where light faded. Inside a circle of painted purple runes lay a massive blue-and-gold hammer, steaming as if just taken from bowling water into cold morning air.

Before she could think about touching it, another, deeper bell sound rang out. To her left, another ring of runes glowed brightly into existence. Whether they were there before, Nesha didn't know, but they were obviously there now. She ducked behind a stack of shields and waited silently as the ringing subsided.

In a flash, a shadowy mound of fur appeared within the circle. Wisps of steam curled from it as it grew.

Nesha watched, quickly coming to the realization that it was a person. Was that Fenris' cloak?

It was. Fenris extended until he was at his full size, steaming like a hot cup of tea. Nesha remained silent and continued to watch as Fenris collected the hammer and carried it to a massive painting. Her first thought was, how could such a frail old man heft such a massive weapon like that?

She shrunk behind her hiding place as Fenris grumbled something she couldn't interpret. He then proceeded to step directly through the painting, barely hesitating as the surface rippled like the surface of water. After a few seconds of silence Fenris emerged again, empty-handed.

_That must be where he's keeping the weapons hidden,_ Nesha thought.

"I'm sure you were quite entertained," Fenris called, "seeing me enter my weapon vault." He turned and looked in her direction. "Remember to follow the rules, ice-witch."

The deep ring sang again and a hot light flashed, and Fenris disappeared from the room. Silence followed, and Nesha was alone, enraged. "I know the rules!" She shouted at thin air. "I don't need some special bow to prove myself to some strangers! I'll win this contest and tear down this cruddy house!"

It was a meaningless threat. Nesha had no true intention of winning, and certainly had no drive toward it. She simply found it exasperating that the old man thought it necessary to remind her.

_If it happens again, _she thought, again meaninglessly,_ I'll kill him._

Elsewhere in the mansion, Durn lay silently in the darkness of his prison. His ears perked when he thought he heard Nesha's voice shouting. He lifted his head, trying to listen more closely, but nothing could be clearly heard from wherever the shout had originally come.

He rested his head again, ignoring his hopes of escape.

Then his ear twitched again as another familiar voice came toward him. It seemed to shout "This way," and sounded like one of his older sisters.

"Niha!" He barked. "In here!"

"Durn?" his sister called through the door of the room.

"It's me," he replied, "I'm in a cage."

Her voice became distant, as if she turned around to whisper to someone.

Then his mother's voice came. "Durn we know what happened."

He couldn't place the tone of her voice, he never could. He felt that he heard disappointment and lowered his head in shame.

"I'm proud of you for dong what you thought was right."

He raised his head and wagged his tail. Isn't it always just the opposite of what you'd expect?

"We're coming in there to get you out," Niha called again.

"No," he warned. "If I leave then I won't get to see Nesha again."

"Don't worry," his sister offered, "Nisa came up with a plan." Durn couldn't wait to hear it. His younger sister had always been the brightest of the litter. "She started coming up with it as soon as we found out Fenris was holding you hostage. She says it will work, as long as that human boy figures out his riddle."

"What makes you so sure that boy will have anything to do with it?"

"I have no idea, but we have to trust Nisa."

As reassuring as that was, Durn still didn't believe there would be any way to get him out of there safely. Then another thing crossed his mind, "What about Nira?" his oldest sister.

"Also no idea," Niha admitted. "Nisa gave her some obscure instructions. I was already on my way out…"

"I sent her to achieve another variable," a higher-pitched voice called.

"Nisa," Durn sighed, "what's with this crazy plan you've got going on?"

"I can't really explain right now," she said, "all kinds of strangers are coming into the mansion and we're not supposed to be seen. But don't worry, it's flawless."


	5. Plan

Warriors and wizards flooded the courtyard within hours of the first two arrivals.

Nesha kept to herself, while also taking mental notes on each potential enemy. _This one looks fast, _or _he looks like he could use quite a heavy weapon, _even _I better stay away from her if I want to win. _Thoughts like that forced her to remind herself that she did not need to win. Then she would remind herself that she wanted to win, if only to prove a point. _But what point?_

Cain took it upon himself to get onto a personal level with anyone and everyone possible. He would go right up to them and begin simple banter until the person felt comfortable with him. He believed that if he was on good terms with everyone, no one would want to defy him.

Other warriors had their own strategies, forming alliances or rivalries were among these. Some plans would work better than others while some plans just got lucky.

An entire day gone by and the contest was about to officially begin, leading up to the precise moment for another plan to take place.

Durn paced quietly in his cage as night fell. He tried not to think about the plan, for a rumor had been spread that Fenris could read the thoughts of the wolves in his mansion. He paced back a forth, blocking out what he had been told with thoughts of his cub life, or thoughts of Nesha.

Surprisingly – or perhaps not – the thoughts of his new friend calmed him. These images of her beside him, playing and laughing, these were what put his mind at ease. With these thoughts he knew he would get back to her.

Then he would think of how, and ultimately end up thinking of his sisters' plan all over again. This cycle carried on for hours, or so it seemed to Durn. He couldn't wait much longer.

His anticipation got the better of him and he glanced into the darkness of the nursery in which he was held. His eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness, as all wolves' do, and he focused on the grate in the ceiling that Nisa claimed Nira would be climbing through before sunrise.

Then he quickly turned away. Was this really what he wanted? What if they were caught and Durn could never see Nesha again? And what was meant by that? Would Fenris do something to her, or to Durn, or to both of them? Durn couldn't stand the countless thoughts always running while he stressed about what would happen, or what would not. At least he wasn't thinking about the plan, even if he didn't realize it.

The moon rose, and Nesha noticed a distinct fact that might put the entire attendance at risk. As luck would have it, this realization came at the moment Cain found her.

"Greetings," he called.

She just stared at the moon.

He looked up as well. "Beautiful night for a contest, isn't it?"

"That's not it," she said. With a point, she included "Notice how it's nearly full? If memory serves, it's been waxing the past few days."

"That is interesting," his slow mind processing the advice, "that means we can fight all night long with plenty of light!"

"You idiot!" She turned to him. "Fenris is a werewolf. If this contest lasts longer than tomorrow we're all in danger."

Cain rubbed his chin. "I think you mean 'Whoever's left is in danger.'"

Nesha straightened. That was a good point. "So what do we do?"

"Well if you think I'm giving up on the fight just because of the scary guy," Cain shouted, "then you've got another thing coming!"

"No, I won't give up either," she said, worriedly. "We've got to find a way to warn all these people, get them out of here safely."

Cain made an awkward sound with his lips and a fast exhale. "If they're anything like you or me, they won't want to just leave."

"That's true," she offered. "They might see it as a kind-of trick to get them to forfeit." She faced the moon again. "We're just going to have to defeat all of these people—"

"Isn't that the point?" He interrupted.

"In order to save them!" She glared at him, unable to fathom just how stupid he is. "Don't you see? This is obviously something more than a contest to win his house. He's trying to kill us!"

"If I know anything, it's to trust this guy."

"And why?"

"Because he knows me, well enough to know that I can beat him."

Nesha slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Now if you'll excuse me," he thrust a thumb over his shoulder, "I've got some new arrivals to greet."

_You're at the greatest risk of all,_ she thought. And with another worried glance at the moon, she decided it was safe enough to fall asleep.

Durn was finished pacing. He had walked so much that he tired himself out.

Having completely forgotten about the plan, he collapsed into a ball and fell asleep, while just outside, the plan was underway.

"Are you sure, Niha?"

"Yes mother," the young wolf grumbled, "his snoring is loud enough to wake up the whole planet."

"Well you know my ears are going," the older wolf explained. "I can barely hear as well as a person."

"I know, mother." She nodded to her older sister, Nira, who took a running jump into an open grate near the ceiling.

Nira clambered in, clawing into the smooth metal surface. Architecture like this was ancient, and made the wolf wonder how long the mansion stood. That, however, was not her priority.

She turned around in the narrow duct to help her littlest sister in, then the small bag of essentials that they would carry into the room. Nira and Nisa now crawled through the silent tunnel with adequate stealth. Following a map of the layout that Nisa had memorized earlier.

After a short time clambering in darkness, the two sisters made it to their destination. Nira undid the grate like her sister explained; wiggling it loose downward, then turning it sideways to fit inside their tunnel. If they had knocked it down it would have made a noise, most likely ruining the plan.

Nira lowered her sister down by the tail, as she clenched her teeth to keep from howling at the pain.

Afterward, Nira stealthily dropped down with the small bag of tools. Opening the bag, Nisa pulled out what she needed one by one. Taking a look at the lock on Durn's cage she picked up her first tool.

The narrow tip of the item slipped cleanly into the keyhole. She moved it around inside the lock, listening for distinct clicks. Once she heard what she was searching for she made a tiny grunting sound. Nira understood the signal and took the tool into her mouth. Nisa then picked up the next necessary tool. Simply, a knife with a small enough blade to fit into the keyhole with the pick. With another verbal clue to her sister, the two made awkward head movements to turn the items sideways, moving the tumbler in just the right way to unlock the latch.

The heavy object detached. Nisa removed it from the cage and placed it onto a soft blanket conveniently placed on the floor nearby. Nira stepped into the cage and Nisa helped heft Durn onto her sister's back. Nisa trotted to the door and easily undid the heavy latch with a jump, pushing the knob with her nose.

With the door open, the two wolves walked out, carrying their brother.

"Thank goodness," their mother sighed.

"Relax mom," Niha chided. "You're sure you didn't wake him?"

"Relax Niha," Nisa mocked. "What do you take me for?"

"I'm just glad it went well," their mother sighed again.

Nira grunted, making it known that her brother was not a light burden.

"Right," Niha said, "this way." The family ran through hallways and down flights of stairs. Eventually they made it to their den, deep below the mansion. Within the crawlspaces of the foundation of the building, other wolf families lived peacefully under the care of Fenrir.

Or what they believed to be "care." If you can call narrow living spaces and near total darkness caring. But what could they do? They were only wolves taken in by a decades old, immensely powerful vampire slayer. They mostly did want he wanted so they could continue living in his safety.

But that was about to change.

A few seconds – and multiple concerned glances from other packs – passed, and Durn was startled awake by being dropped from his older sister's back.

"Wha...?" he questioned as he slowly adjusted to the dankness of their home.

Nisa spoke first. "Told you I'd handle it."

Durn couldn't really remember her telling him that, but it didn't matter now. "How'd you do it? Even without waking me up?"

"Not like you're easy to wake up," Niha joked, "We had to drop you like three times."

Durn saw his mother roll her eyes, then went to nuzzle her, a wolf's most affectionate gesture toward family members. He performed the brushing expression with his sisters as well, seeming to have forgotten the gravity of their current dilemma.

Once everyone was comfortable with each other, Niha spoke up. "The battle begins tomorrow," she stated bluntly, reminding Durn of Nesha and her situation.

"We've scoped out the players," Nisa added, "and we're coming up with a plan to sway the direction of the outcome, in a way."

"What are you talking about?" Durn was growing concerned.

Niha answered, "Fenris is leaving, we're certain of that. We don't want to have to leave the mansion when he does, so we're going to try to change what happens to get who we want to live here to win." After a brief pause she smirked, "And we all know who _you _want to win."

"No," Durn didn't hesitate. He definitely wanted Nesha to win, if it meant living in the same house, but Fenris was still in control. "I don't want to risk anything while Fenris could catch us."

"That's the only problem we still have," Nisa explained, "the trolls have been setting up for the contest for weeks, including specific weapon placements, and a magical surveillance system for the old coot to watch everything and keep track of the fighting. He's got an eye in every room and hallway, and probably a monitor for every one."

"If we can get find those monitors–" Niha included before Durn interrupted.

"Without getting caught by Fenris…"

"Right," Niha continued. "If we could do that we would have plenty more control over everything in the mansion."

"I don't think we'd have more control…" Durn began.

Nisa explained before he could finish, "We won't have control through the monitors, Durn, but if we can see what's going on we will have a better chance of influencing certain battles."

"We could have just as much influence without watching everyone," Durn argued.

"It's not like watching them would harm the plan." Nisa tried to convince him.

"I still haven't heard the plan," Durn was raising his voice.

Niha stepped in with calmness to her voice. "Quiet down, he might hear you."

"He might hear us no matter where we are," Durn contradicted. "We're never safe around him."

"That's what we're saying," Niha continued. "We need to end this man's tyranny, it's as simple as that. We're just trying to come with the best way to do that and that might include finding his monitor room."

Durn stood quietly contemplating the knowledge. "All right," he confessed, "but I still disagree. If I get caught I might never see Nesha again."

"That's another thing," Nisa included, "Ilish over there –" she nodded her head toward a young wolf in another pack, they seemed to be preparing for something "—happened to be passing through the courtyard and heard you whining, and Fenris shouting."

This made Durn wonder, if that cub had heard Fenris shouting at him in the courtyard, was that possibly where he was with the werewolf? How could that be?

Nisa continued, "he heard Fenris give you his 'rules…'"

Durn remembered being terrified in the cage, "He said if I left my cage I'd never see her again."

"But you didn't leave," Niha smirked.

"We took you from it," Nisa also smirked.

"You really want me to take that risk?" Durn was notably skeptical.

"Durn come on!" Nisa was exasperated at that. "We have a plan to finally get out of the power-hungry rule of this power-hungry man, and we could really use your help."

His mother stepped up to him then. "What would you do for your friend?"

Durn backed away, tears in his eyes. "I don't want to lose her…" he looked away.

His family smiled, thinking they had finally gotten to him.

Then he finished, "That's why I can't make this risk." He ran off, out of the den and back into the mansion.


	6. Tears

Durn's tears blinded him, causing him to run into the first wall nearby.

Niha caught up with him quickly. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I can't…" he sobbed hysterically. His mind raced, no plan could possibly end well for him. "I can't do anything."

"What do you mean?" His sister asked.

"Why did you take me out of that cage?" He took a deep breath and continued, "If I try to help I'll likely get caught. If I go _anywhere_ I'll get caught. If I stay here he'll notice I'm missing." He sobbed again, finally collapsing to the dirty ground.

Niha sat beside him. "We didn't mean to cause you so much trouble. We just needed your help."

"My help cheating…?" He scolded.

"Your help changing our future," Nisa added. "We won't force you to do anything, but we thought you would want to do something, for any reason, even if not for ours."

Durn whimpered. "…no. I can't risk never seeing her again."

By this point he had made a scene, drawing the attention of many wolves. Some made comments like, "What a cry-puppy," and questions like, "Didn't he break Fenris' rules?" The attention made Durn want to dig a hole and hide.

Then Nira walked up, touched his back and licked his ear. He gasped and stopped crying. She had not made this gesture since they were young pups. She had figured out how comforting it was and was the only one he allowed to do it. "What's life without a little risk?" Her voice was powerful and inspiring, but still he sobbed.

"I'm just afraid of being stuck without her."

"But you must overcome those fears." She licked his ear again, sending shivers down his spine. He stopped crying. "Otherwise," Nira continued, "What kind of friend are you?"

It was insulting, sure, but Durn only felt reassured. Thoughts spinning, he stood. Then, with a deep, strong breath, "Let's end this game."

Nesha awoke from a strange dream in which she was being laid into a glass case. The last thing she remembered before waking was white mist surrounding her and a gold crown.

In the near-full moonlight she witnessed something even more strange. Long, yellow, rubbery appendages were drawing things into the dirt ground. Circles around each sleeping person in the courtyard and arrows leading from them to windows and doors. She looked down and saw a circle around herself, followed by an arrow leading to a door. At the end of the arrow was a number, 301.

She barely recognized that the rooms had numbers on the doors. She was willing to bet that the number indicated that she go to room 301. She racked her brain trying to remember any mental map that could tell her where the room was. With no luck she simply stopped.

Looking up she glimpsed the strange limbs retracting to a spot, then vanishing. Something was definitely there, but how? She remembered the rock she threw hit nothing, so left the idea alone.

_Back to the issue at hand,_ she reminded herself. Seeing no harm in it, she began to sneak out of the courtyard. _If he let me do it earlier, he shouldn't have a problem with my wandering. _

As far as she knew, he didn't.

She was about to go through the door indicated by the arrow – which was also pointed to by many other arrows – she heard a faint weeping sound. Curled against the wall, Nesha found, was a wrinkly lump of grey fur. It bobbed and moved in an awkward fashion, synchronized with the sobs coming from it. She guessed the fur was a coat, worn by a young hero brought to compete in the old villain's wicked contest.

She reached a hand to rest on the being's shoulder. At least, Nesha thought it was the shoulder.

The person gasped and lifted her head, throwing Nesha's hand off for it had been resting on the head. Nesha remained calm, raising her hands to show she meant no harm. "Why are you crying?" She asked.

The small, feminine voice replied weakly, "Because I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Nesha inquired. Why was she wasting her time with a potential opponent?

"Afraid I'll get hurt." The little girl sobbed again. "He said the weapons were enchanted, and that real magic won't work, but what if someone cheats? Or don't use the magic weapons?"

Nesha sat beside the hooded girl. "Listen," she began, "Fenris took everyone's weapons away. He's too smart to let anything like that get by." She bit her tongue after realizing she had complimented her nemesis.

"I know," another sob, "but he also took away my wand." She wailed, "What if I never get it back? That's the only way I can cast spells!"

Nesha brushed her hand over the youngster's back. She couldn't feel how soft it truly was, but she could guess based on how it flowed through her icy fingers. "It's okay, the game won't last too long. You won't get hurt, I promise. I'll even stay with you, if you want, to protect you, until you get your wand back."

The crying stopped then. The little girl looked up, magnificently blue eyes shining with tears against a pearl-white face. She had no nose, which made Nesha wonder how she sniveled. Her hair seemed made of seaweed and was wrapped into a curly bun on the back of her head. "What about my shell?"

"Your shell?" Nesha asked.

The girl nodded, "My shell! It's my home, a giant oyster shell. It's where I was born!"

"Okay, what do you mean 'what about it'?"

"I mean will we get it back? Fenris took it so he could make me fight, but I'm afraid!" The girl squinted her eyes as tears flowed again. She looked away and sobbed more.

"Hey yeah, of course we will." Nesha promised. "Everything that was taken from you, we're gonna get it back, just you wait!"

"How?" The pearl girl rubbed at her eyes.

"By winning," Nesha said. "Now come on," she stood and offered a hand to the girl, "now's our chance to get a head start." She looked at the circle at the girl's feet and followed the arrow to a door. It was a different door from hers but that was no matter. She led the girl by the hand toward the door. The number at the end was 351. _Same floor_, Nesha thought, _but likely on the exact opposite side of the mansion. _She pushed the discouragement away and continued to lead the young sorceress deeper into the building.

"What was your name, miss?" The girl called while they climbed another flight of stairs.

"I'm Nesha," she replied. "How 'bout you?"

"My name's Pinc," the girl replied. "I use water magic."

"Interesting," Nesha said. "I use a bow and arrow, with some ice magic sometimes."

"Cool," Pinc skipped up beside Nesha, "Where'd you learn?"

"Huh?" Nesha looked down at the shiny pearl head of the girl.

"Where'd you learn your magic?"

"Umm, I was born with it actually." Nesha explained. "I think. I woke up one day inside a strange metal bed with a glass lid. It was broken, but still. I noticed my skin was made of ice, but I don't remember anything about going to sleep, or even before that. I learned on my own that I could use ice magic by concentrating and channeling it through my arrows. Other than that, I don't know where it came from." She looked down at her frozen fingers, wondering once again how she could control something that was naturally so solid, unmoving.

"Oh," Pinc sighed. "Well my momma taught me how to use water magic once I turned twenty."  
><em>Twenty?! How old is she now?<em>

"Yeah," Pinc went on, "but I'm still pretty young, so I still have to use a wand."

Nesha thought for a second, choosing her words carefully. "I'm sure you'll get a wand you can use just fine." She smiled. She was going to say "I hope," but that risked destroying the young wizard's confidence.

"If he does," Pinc said, "I bet I can win!"

Nesha's smile faded, but she wasn't sure why. She had made the promise to win against the odds that Fenris had stacked, would she have to fight Pinc to get there? But, she hadn't even taken herself seriously when she shouted into nothing that night. She was simply angry at Fenris for separating her from Durn.

"What're ya thinking about?" Pinc chimed.

"Oh, uh…" what could she say? "Just about my friend. He's in the mansion too, and I hope he doesn't get hurt."

"Aww, that's so nice of you." She looked at the floor for a moment while she walked. "How about I win so I can get him back safely?"

Nesha couldn't help smiling at the innocent gratitude.

They arrived at room 351 just as dawn began to break. Pinc waved goodbye to Nesha, opened the door and disappeared inside. Nesha's smile instantly fell. _She must know she has to fight me if she wants to win. And how does she know Durn needs to "get back safely?"_

She didn't spend much time thinking.

Now running, she quickly made her way back to the other side of the courtyard through the building. She had wasted time she could have used. Why?

The door to her designated room was very firm. Solid oak, it seemed, painted white with what appeared to be bubbles. Inside was a massive bath tub. It could easily fit ten people sitting only around the outside, leaving plenty of space in the center. Unfortunately, it was empty. The floor surrounding the tub was some kind of rubber grate, most likely to keep people from slipping while also letting water drain. The walls were alternating white and sea-green tiles. One wall had a line of large, circular shower heads. The other had brass hooks, most likely for towels or robes.

Today, however, a few hooks were used for something different. On two hooks, side by side, were a marvelous wooden bow and quiver of simple arrows, at least thirty, each glowing with an ominous purple aura. She weighed the bow in her right hand and swung the leather strap for the quiver over her head and tightened it comfortably over her left shoulder.

A pang of loss went through her. The bow was magnificent, made exactly to her liking, but it wasn't hers. The grip was molded nicely. Details carved along the limbs resembled snowflakes. The string was tightly braided horse hair and was pulled taut between the arms. Just how she strung hers, it allowed more power, but only short-distance accuracy. If she wanted long-distance, she would need a long-bow.

She practiced unsheathing arrows and nocking them until she found a rhythm where she could do both in one swift movement. It would have to do, the sun was up, a bell rang out, and the contest had begun.

With a sigh, Nesha slowly cracked the door open. Before poking her head out, she heard a familiar straining sound, the sound of a bow being drawn. _Figures he'd put two archers next door to each other._ She wondered slightly at how the other had managed to exit his room so quickly.

Ignoring details, she went back into the room and began turning on every faucet to the hottest setting. With the ten shower heads on the wall and four in the rectangular, ceramic tub – at each opposite corner – the room quickly began growing warm. The heat clashed with the brisk morning air and the vapor became visible.

After waiting for the room to completely fill with steam, Nesha flung the door open, letting the fog pour out into the hallway. She heard the bow draw again – barely over the sound of running water – and waited. She listened for footsteps, but heard none.

After a few silent moments she took a step outward. Almost immediately she ran into the other archer, he had sneaked up flawlessly to the door. Their bodies tumbled together, breaking an arrow that had been notched. Nesha spilled a few arrows but managed to escape the fray unharmed.

She quickly drew an arrow and prepared it, waiting for a moment to fire. The man had disappeared back into the steam, but she knew he was still there. Could he see her?

Slowly, Nesha lowered herself to lie on her stomach. The hot steam would rise, so maybe she could see his feet.

Once she got completely down, she jumped right back up. The male archer was lying on his back, waiting for her to appear. He fired once she had shown herself, but only a second too late. She dodged and sprinted to where she had seen him lying. He was on his back; that might give her time to catch him before he got up.

She guessed correctly, he was still stumbling to his feet when she arrived. She gave a swift kick to the side of his head and sent him sprawling back to the floor. While he fell she drew another arrow and thrust it into his back. She knew it would not harm him, as long as he was human.

She removed the arrow, leaving no wound, then gathered the arrows she had spilled. Before she ran off, she watched a familiar elastic arm scoop the loser from the floor and take him away down the hall. She ran after it.

She ran for a short while, following the arm out a window back into the courtyard and disappearing in mid-air. One of those arms would have to be how she got in there. Would that mean she'd have to lose a fight? Maybe she could grab one while it carried away someone else she defeated. That was her best bet if she wanted to get into whatever was up there.


	7. Mercy

Durn ran along behind Nisa as she lead the way. They were making their way to the roof, from there they'd split up to spy on the competition. They wanted to find particular participants they found worthy of inheriting the mansion.

On the way up a flight of stairs, Durn caught a glimpse of something strange in the courtyard. A long yellow rope seemed to be carrying someone into the air. He stopped and watched as whatever it was and the person disappeared in midair. Then he saw someone jump through a window, following the strange yellow lasso. It was Nesha!

Niha whispered harshly at him, "Durn, we have to get to the roof!"

"But she's right there. I can get to her."

"We have a plan to get where we all want to go," she reminded him, "but we have to stick together right now."

Durn sighed, then went along with his sister to the roof.

Nesha had made a mistake. Right now, the courtyard was no-man's land, the perfect target range for anybody with projectile weapons or magic that happened to look out a window. She needed to get back inside.

Backpedaling to the nearest door, she kept an eye to each window for any movement or sign of danger, but the attack came from directly behind her.

Luckily, the fighter had no weapon, and fought solely with his bare hands, though this made her wonder how he might win in a fight against her. If all weapons were enchanted to deal no damage then he would truly deal some heavy blows if he often mainly fought with his fists.

She was lifted from her feet in an incredible bear hug. To escape she whipped her head back and smashed him in the nose. He immediately let go and staggered back.

Nesha drew an arrow and rolled away while the attacker quickly recovered. His nose was bleeding but it didn't faze him. With a high jump, he brought his heel down hard. Nesha deflected it into the ground with an arrow, a risky, but useful maneuver. The arrow went casually through his foot while she steered it away slightly, stabbing the head into the ground. The man screamed, more in panic than in pain, and Nesha swung her bow for his head. It connected with a sickening crack and he was out cold.

She wondered if Fenris would be angry at her for taking someone out so violently, but she got over the feeling. Then she remembered what came next.

As if on cue – which it literally was – the long yellow appendage reached out of thin air toward the fallen monk. It wrapped around his shirtless torso and lifted his unconscious body from the dirt.

This was her chance! Before thinking she leapt at the tentacle, terrified to find it was soft and furry. Holding on, she was determined to get into what she assumed was the invisible room Fenris was hiding in. Hopefully, Durn would be inside, too.

She held on as it carried her upward. Then another disturbing image appeared: a large eye that seemed mostly pupil emerged from above the shimmering, ethereal image of a cube. Somehow, it made a face – one lone eye seemed to have a look of disappointment. The emotion was so surreal that Nesha figured she had simply imagined it.

Then more tentacles protruded from the original and began grabbing at her, attempting to pry her grasp and finish her ascent. She swung around, squirming from unsettlingly gentle finger tips and climbing up the living rope herself.

But something was off… The extra arms that had been trying to get her off now worked only on carrying the defeated monk, while the section she climbed on slowly lowered her down. Each time she reached up it stretched farther down. Eventually she would be on the ground again.

Then she had another idea, and began swinging. It hastened her descent, but it was her only hope now. She swung harder, and harder, but with every effort she made the elastic limb worked against her. The lifeless monk she had defeated moments ago now disappeared through a wall of the translucent box. She was flabbergasted by the sight: the body seemed to disintegrate into thin air, but she knew better.

Unfortunately, the distraction got the better of her. The arm she was swinging on slacked immensely and she plummeted to the ground. The landing knocked the wind out of her.

Durn saw her fall. He didn't see what made her fall, but she fell to her back in the middle of the courtyard. He placed his fore-paws into the window pane to look closer as she squirmed in the dirt.

Nisa nudged him. "Go get her," she enticed.

"No," Durn sighed, "he'll likely be watching her. It's best if we keep a low profile until the contest is over."

He lowered himself down and continued running.

Nisa and Niha stayed behind a while before Niha spoke up, "His logic is a bit shaky."

"Give him space," Nisa empathized. "We barely got him to come with us in the first place. I'd rather not argue and risk bringing up another crying fit."

Durn ran around a corner and stopped before running into a fray. A small wizard using water magic faced a swordsman with two long, curved blades. The little pink sorceress looked like she belonged in a sea palace. Yet somehow, Durn got the notion not to trust her. He didn't trust the swordsman either, so he left the battle as it was. There was no apparent victor at the time; the small girl's magic kept her alive, but the guy's skill and speed were uncanny. If he ever found an opening, the fight would be over, and the girl would have lost.

The pack kept running. Durn lead his three sisters down hallways, up stairways, through ballrooms and washrooms, ignoring fights left and right. Eventually, Niha got fed up.

"When are we actually going to get something done?" She shouted at Durn, panting.

Durn looked around and pulled the party to a stop. "I don't really know." He admitted, also trying to catch his breath.

"There's a surprise," Nisa grumbled under her breath.

Durn didn't hear her, but still got defensive. "Listen, I'm only here because you wanted me to be. I'm only doing this for Nesha's sake! I don't know if she wants to win, but I want her to be safe."

Nisa spoke up first, "Fenris' weapons are enchanted so that they don't hurt anyone."

"But you saw her fall!" Her stubborn brother argued. "I don't know what made her fall, but falling could be dangerous in this place."

"She'd have to fall off the roof for anything really bad to happen."

"Nisa, enough," Nira interrupted. "I trust your judgement. Lead on."

Durn nodded sternly and the four got up to run some more. They turned another corner and Durn jumped back like a domestic cat startled by something falling. A massive sword stuck into the ground in front of him. He looked up to see a lightly armored waffle man deftly dodging lashes from a long leather whip, held by an even more-so lightly armored woman who seemed to have water flowing from her head instead of hair. The waffle knight was on the other side of the whip-bearer, completely defenseless.

The hall was quite grand, probably leading to a dining room or ball room. It was wide and well-lit with open torches five feet apart on each wall. Pale areas periodically dotted the walls; impressions of paintings once hung as decoration, likely removed in anticipation of a dual like the one happening now.

Durn instantly knew what to do.

He turned to his sisters and quickly told them "Get him his sword." Then he turned and barked. The noise distracted the lady long enough for the man to catch his breath, and fir Niha and Nisa to dislodge the incredible cleaver.

They each jumped against the dull side of the blade until it wiggled loose. Nira, being the strongest, then grabbed the handle in her mouth. She fell forward, bringing the handle downward and the blade out of the hole it had created. She swung with the momentum of the heavy weapon and allowed it to move her in a wide circle. The wolves ducked to dodge it, though it harmlessly passed through the leg of the water girl. With another spin, Nira released her grip and allowed the sword to fly through the air, back to its temporary owner.

He reacted quickly leaping into the air at just the right time to grasp the handle. The momentum of the swing spun him around once, but he was well-trained with its weight and moved with comfortably with it.

The lady had tried to lash out her whip to grab the sword and throw it away again, but Durn had thought ahead and grabbed the thick, abrasive leather in his teeth. It had no effect on his mouth, but he managed to keep the user from whipping it out again and disarming her opponent once more.

Bewildered by the sudden reinforcements working against her, she turned back to the man. She didn't have time to blink before the blade came down upon her. It fell straight to the floor and cracked another crevice without leaving a mark on the waterfall girl.

She shivered in horror at nearly being cut in half. She muttered, "No," under her breath before the wolves turned and ran off down another hallway.

Once the wolves were gone, long yellow arms slithered through the nearest doorway and began wrapping themselves around the defeated girl. "That's not fair!" She shouted, writhing in the stiff grasp of the strange appendages. "That's cheating!"

Nesha ran toward the agonized screams, barely catching up to a girl with water flowing from her head entangled in a familiar yellow hold.

A waffle knight held the pose of a recent swing while his defeated foe struggled in the folds that signified her loss. Nesha saw the man quiver as tears fell from his face. His hands held the leather-bound handle of his sword tightly. She could tell he dreaded the thought of actually killing the opponent. He wouldn't dare look at her, knowing he had lost all traces of humanity to defeat her the way he had.

She thought of grabbing on to the struggling girl and having the arms take her to the hidden room above the courtyard, but only felt remorse. She ignored the idea of revenge for now, and replaced it with an idea of mourning. She moved forward to kneel beside the weeping knight to comfort him, but movement at the end of the hallway stopped her.

A person, cloaked in a black mask and hood, threw a flurry of stars at the defenseless knight. Nesha grabbed four arrows from her quiver, which was how many throwing stars she had counted. Simultaneously nocking all four arrows, she quickly drew them back and aimed. Without another second of hesitation, she fired.

Luckily, all four arrows connected with all four stars. The projectiles each fell to the floor with their respective clattering noises. Nesha nocked another three arrows and aimed in the ninja's direction. The masked character only whipped his hand out, then back in.

Miniscule threads had been thrown out and magnetically attached to the four stars on the ground, which were then drawn back to the one who had thrown them. The ninja filled his hands with throwing stars, placing one between all of his fingers. He held a total of eight stars, and was poised to throw them all, no doubt with deadly accuracy.

Nesha could only barely fire four arrows accurately, how could she protect both of them from a bombardment this unpredictably huge and fast?

She thought of ricocheting three that were aimed at him most devastatingly, but couldn't tell which were. She thought of leaving the man on his own, but knew her conscience wouldn't allow it. She knew she couldn't draw more arrows fast enough. She decided it would be best to leave and hope for the best, but her ideas were thrown out the window.

In a magnificent flurry, the waffle man drew his sword from the crack in the ground and swung it around him in a wide arc. The swing only deflected two flying stars, but the fat blade created a heavy gust that threw the remaining projectiles off their course.

Metal clinked as the ninja's weapons stuck into the walls and floor all around the knight. Several torches were also blown out and the hall grew much darker.

Nesha stood amazed, her bow still drawn, ready to fire.

The ninja began to sweat. He threw a hand in front of him with a strange gesture. Then he silently cursed, being reminded he had no use of magic in this mansion.

The waffle knight glared intensely through his sunshine-golden hair, and the ninja cautiously backed away, eventually fleeing down another hallway.

Nesha and the waffle knight each sighed. She lowered her bow, and he hefted his sword onto his shoulder.

"Thanks for that," he said. His voice was strong, yet light, still wavering after crying so much. He wiped his eyes with his free hand.

Nesha returned the arrows from her hand to the quiver on her back. "I couldn't let someone so distraught get caught like that." She moved past him, patting his armored shoulder, the one opposite where his sword was resting. She gathered her arrows.

"You know we can't both win," he reminded her as she collected her arrows. One had a crack in the shaft, so she snapped it in half and tossed it. "We might have to fight each other if this goes on."

"If what goes on?" She asked.

He was taken aback by the question, his eyes widening. "What do you mean?"

"I helped you," she explained, "that doesn't make us allies." She had a stern face, stating the truth. Then she smiled, "It makes us friends. That's more important. If you can beat me later, I'll be happy to show you my skills. Just don't get caught crying again."

He looked down, ashamed that he had made himself so vulnerable. Then, he started laughing! To think he had actually made a friend in a game where everyone was an enemy.

Nesha couldn't stay. As he laughed at what happened, she nodded and silently wished him good luck before running off into the dark.

She had missed her chance to get into the invisible room, but had gained a friend.

She stopped running, having to laugh herself. It was a restrained laughter, but remarkably out loud. In the four days she had been away from her home in the forest, she had made three new friends, a remarkable enemy, and a shifty ally. She never before considered herself such an outgoing person, but with all the attention, she might as well be a princess.


	8. Fire

The family of wolves ran around for quite some time. Durn never felt any kind of trust toward another player for the entire time, but agreed to help Nisa when they came across a strange wizard that fought using sand figures. He was an intellectual-looking character: no more than four feet high with billowing white robes; smooth, jawbreaker head; round, wire-framed spectacles. He focused his power, oddly enough, through a totem – a weird, carved wooden figure that could be mistaken as a simple fashion accessory.

Waving it around, any wolf had a hard time catching a glimpse of it. It resembled a bear, a fat creature decorated with painted lines. Its eyes glowed yellow occasionally and a statue of sand would animate, rising from the floor to take the form of seemingly random personages.

The totem was clearly his one magical item allotted to him at the beginning. None of the wolves had any clue how the rules went about granting magic users their abilities. Durn remembered seeing a sorceress using water magic, and overall it only seemed that the spells had no effect. His whole family – moreover, anyone in the den knew that Fenris' mansion rendered all use of magical spells null. Durn had personally seen a hostile visitor try to cast a spider web spell but only shooting out dust.

The wolves could only wonder how Fenris might have stretched the limits of his home in order for mages to be more useful in this fight. Durn, specifically, wondered if Nesha could use her power over ice.

Nesha wished she could use her ice powers right about now. How could she be having such a hard time against a scrawny seaweed girl with a boomerang?

The kelp girl's weapon was all blunt, but somehow managed to return to her hand after every throw. Every time Nesha stopped it with her arm it would impact, then reverse its spin and fly backward. The hit would cause Nesha to stagger, though she felt no pain.

Another volley of arrows were deflected to the ground while Nesha leapt onto the massive dining room table.

The room was quite grand, with candelabras lighting every inch it against the wall and down the center of the table. Now they were being kicked away as Nesha grappled with the slimy attacker.

She grabbed Nesha around the shoulders and threw her down, but Nesha had grabbed the girl's wrist. They fell to the table top. Empty dishes, cups, and silverware were scattered. A candle fell and lit the silk tablecloth ablaze. Nesha rolled on top of her opponent, but was kicked off. The stranger saw the flames and panicked. While Nesha fell to her bottom on the stylish-tile floor, the girl she was fighting rolled from her back off the other side of the table.

The two stared at each other for a time. Nesha tried to reach for an arrow, but before she got her fingers around the fletching she was hit across the hand by the boomerang. If the thing weren't enchanted it would have broken her wrist.

Another stand-off ensued, each waiting for the moment to strike. From her peripheral vision, Nesha spotted the growing flames of the tablecloth glowing. She didn't have the swordsman here to deflect the ranged weapon with another fanning blow of his sword. She was on her own. Not that that was a bad thing.

Moving quickly, she reached for the hem of the tablecloth in front of her. He opponent reacted, throwing her boomerang toward Nesha's head with deadly accuracy.

But Nesha anticipated this. Lifting the tablecloth quickly spilled its contents to the floor. With a twirl of the fabric, fire danced through the air and the wooden weapon was tangled within. It would burn up, but amazingly – and partially intended – the boomerang began flying back to the owner. The horror in the girl's eyes was dreadful, and Nesha was not cruel, she only wanted to win. She yanked on the cloth slightly and stopped the thing's flight from carrying the fire all the way to its destination.

The seaweed girl was stunned. She was ready to scream if the fire had reached her, but that never happened, so she simply stood frozen with fear of the inevitable that would never happen.

Nesha took the opportunity, stepping off the table, vaulting into the air with an arrow already notched. As she drew back, her target's eyes refocused on the bow about to fire.

It would have been a gruesome shot, had the arrow truly done any damage going through the girl's chest.

Nesha landed and rolled to the side, away from the flames on the ground in front of the terrified boomerang wielder. She stood and hurried to her arrow, lodged in the ground behind its target. It was a little dull now, but since it wouldn't puncture any flesh regardless it didn't matter how sharp it was. She replaced it in her quiver and prepared for the inevitable arrival of the long yellow arm.

Nesha whipped her head back and forth to the doorways on all sides of the dining room. _Not too long now,_ she thought. She hoped.

Then it appeared in the doorway behind her. She only noticed after the girl questioned its appearance and fought against it.

"No," the girl's young voice argued against the approach of her dismissal. "It's not fair! I can't be beaten by an archer! She started a fire, I was caught off-guard, give me another chance!"

Arguing with the silent appendage, she didn't notice Nesha jump in front of her to intercept the thing. Nesha was prepared to offer herself instead of the girl she'd defeated. It came up to her with no hesitation, and immediately turned and lashed around her. It quickly wrapped around the seaweed girl, tying up her arms as she began fighting against it.

"She offered herself," she contested. "She doesn't even want to win." Getting nowhere with the restraints, now lifting her from the ground, she turned her attention to Nesha. "If you wanted to get taken away, you could have just lost to me. Now I've lost and you're still trying to leave. You're a fool."

"Getting to where this leads," Nesha said, fighting to grab on to the arm, "_is _my victory."

"That doesn't make sense!" An extra length extended to throw Nesha away while the main length carried the loser back out the door it had come through. "If you want to get there just lose!"

"I can't," Nesha said after steadying herself, "I have too much pride to lose to the likes of you."

"Boo hoo," the girl shouted, grabbing the frame of the door before being dragged out. "You must be real proud to refuse failure, even though it means you get what you want."

This hit Nesha in the heart, she hadn't truly meant she was proud, she just came-back at the girl's rantings. But why was she still fighting? Why, if not for the prize at the end? If she got to leave after losing, and if Fenris let Durn go, why did she still insist on fighting?

She had told herself that it was to prove a point. What was that point? What could she prove by winning what she didn't want?

She broke down in tears, falling to her hands and knees sobbing. "What am I still fighting for?"

"…if not for your friends, then nothing!" The voice was harsh and grating, echoing off the far walls. "There's no point in fighting anymore, just let go and all this pain will be over."

Nesha looked around sporadically, searching for the host of the menacing voice. "Who…"

"Does it matter?" It asked, as if from hell. "Stop fighting, see your friends again."

Nesha suddenly felt warmth tingling in her toes. In her toes…

Her back was turned to the fire!

Quickly she leapt forward and rolled away from the still-burning tablecloth. A figure was sitting in the flames, a wicked smile across his face. His body was black as coal and bandages seemed to be his form of clothing; covering private areas, his hands, feet, and the top of his head. The flames whipped around and danced in his gleaming eyes, which otherwise were as black as his skin. His legs were crossed and his hands floated on air. "Do not fear," He sang harshly. "You were only right. You needn't fight any longer. Once you leave, you can return to your friends."

His despicable voice was dangerously charming. "No…" Nesha argued, unsure. "I have to—

"Have to what? My dear, you have to do nothing." He reached a hand toward her. "Allow me to end your suffering, to send you away from this place." His hand seemed to extend with a lick of fire in her direction. "When I made contact with you, I learned about your pain. That's the kind of power I possess; the fire that burns away pain and despair. You wish to see your wolf friend again, but somethings keeping you away from him. Something powerful. What is it my dear?

Nesha sobbed again, falling back down to her hands. "The menace that brought me here is keeping him from me."

"And if you finish you'll get him back." Nesha nodded. "But you don't have to win."

"No," she fought her emotions again, "I must! He's so weak, so scared."

"My dear, he won't be scared once you return to him."

A heat warmed her scalp, sending a shiver down her spine. She desperately opened her eyes toward the tile floor. Tears dripped into a pool before her eyes. There was an awful lot there.

In an instant she realized they weren't all tears – she was melting!

Before she could react, a massive blade fell before her. The heat left her body and she stumbled backward. Did something push her back?

Looking up she saw the face of the waffle knight she saved from a similar situation.

Appropriately, he looked at her and said, "Don't get caught crying."

A laugh escaped her throat then. It was a sad, choked laugh, for only a second. "Why'd you come after me?" She asked, because of course he had.

"I never got your name." He smiled. "I'm Miguel."

"Nesha," she responded, wiping tears from her eyes and water from her brow.

"I'd give you my name," the fiery-man said, "but I believe a name for someone as powerful as myself can give power to the one using it."

"How self-righteous," Miguel rolled his eyes. He lifted his sword to stand on its tip beside him. He glared at the face inside the fire. "I'm sworn to protect the weak."

"You mean you _were_," the villain pointed to a spot on the knight's pauldron. A small fire burned there, on top of his left shoulder. He quickly patted it out, but it was too late. "You're too late, of course. Thanks to that small amount of time I've had to connect with you I know everything about you, past and present."

"Not future?" Miguel scoffed. "That's weak, man."

While Miguel and the fire being glared at each other, a bell rang and an announcement began. "Night time has come and it is recommended that each of you take an appropriate amount of rest." It was Fenris. Nesha hadn't noticed the sun had gone down, being in a room with no windows. "For those of you who would prefer to remain awake, well… I'd keep an eye out. It's a full moon tonight."

Nesha's eyes widened in horror. "Miguel, we have to get somewhere safe."

He didn't even look back toward her to respond. "Why's that?"

"Fenris is a werewolf," she said, "and he could be anywhere."

"Don't leave," the scraggly voice echoed again, "what about your pride."

Nesha flinched at that. Why would she say something so stupid?

Miguel ground his teeth together. "Don't be so mean!" He shouted, swinging his hefty sword.

The blade passed right through the man sitting in the flames. He laughed, "Idiot, I am the flame. Thanks to Nesha starting this fire, I am invincible!" He laughed louder, crossing his arms as he calmed. "Unlike you."

He waved an arm and a whip of fire followed. It seemed to hit Miguel like a blunt weapon, shoving him to the side. "Protect the weak, ha! Is that what Breakfast Princess told you you'd be doing when she _banished you!?_"

Nesha fired an arrow at the figure in the flames, but it harmlessly passed through. Miguel jumped high with his sword and came down with a vicious chop. It also passed through with no affect. Another lash and Miguel was on his side. "Oh, you attempted to usurp the throne? How diabolical for such a worthy knight."

Miguel stood, "I am a knight! And I was framed." Another swing, another miss.

"Is that so?" The stranger lifted his hand quickly into the air, and a pillar of fire exploded from the ground at Miguel's feet. He shouted in pain, rolling away as fast as he could. His waffle flesh, now browner than before, showed clearly the equivalent of a devastating burn on normal flesh.

Nesha suddenly felt confused. _His spells shouldn't do real damage. The house doesn't allow harmful magic._ She had made the realization some time ago, fighting a wizard that controlled rocks.

Then she had another idea. Moving quickly while the fire user still focused on Miguel, she jumped into the air at the enemy. Drawing an arrow, she made the motion like she was going to stab at him. He spotted her and turned to counter. She twisted in the air, barely dodging the fire whip. Landing sideways and quickly readjusting with her empty hand, she used the momentum of falling to swing her leg around and deliver a kick to the side of the man's head.

It connected with a satisfying _whack_, making the man stagger backward. Then she used up some more strength to back handspring away. The heat was making her melt again. Now she was beside Miguel and started explaining. "He's not really invincible. He's just abusing the weapons' enchantment because he know they can't hurt him."

"If that's the case, then why didn't the yellow arms take him away after the first attack landed?"

Nesha wondered too, and worried that it might have something to do with the full moon.

"Whatever," Miguel said, thrusting his sword into the hard floor, making it stand on its own. "I hope he's ready for a world of hurt." He cracked his knuckles. "And I can stand the heat."

What the two saw next confused them; the man smirked. "That's all well and good, but I've done my damage. So long, Ice Witch." With that, his whole body went up in flames, disappearing in bright yellow and vanishing in the light of the room.

But when did the room get so bright?

Instantly, Nesha realized the entire dining table was on fire. He had simply been distracting them to get the mansion up in flames. But why?

It didn't matter. "Come on," she smacked at Miguel's stomach, harmlessly. It was surprisingly toned, for a waffle man. He flinched out of his stupor, grabbed his sword, hefted it to his shoulder, and ran out behind Nesha.

"We should get into a room," he suggested, "one with a door." He was suddenly afraid of Fenris, remembering that it was night time during a full moon.

The two ran down the long hall, searching for an open door. Finding silver portcullises barring closed doors, they ran for some time, fearing they'd never find sanctuary.

Durn and his sisters ran up another flight of stairs, on that finally led to the roof.

"Finally," Nisa sighed. "Now we can finish the plan."


	9. Traitors

Durn knew little about the entire plan, but only needed to know his part. He took his position beside his sister Nira. They took an awkward crouching stance, facing out over the courtyard. The other two sisters, Niha and Nisa came running up from behind. Nisa was smaller and ran up behind Durn, who was weaker than Nira. When the two younger sisters planted their paws atop Durn and Nira's backs, the two crouched wolves quickly stood, extending their legs forcefully to give their sisters a massive leap into the air.

Durn had forgotten what they were reaching for out in the open air above the courtyard, but he was done with his part, for now.

Niha flew through the air with a rope trailing behind, tied comfortably around her waist. The reason for it would luckily not come to pass. In the circumstance that the two flying dogs did not make a landing before their flight turned downward, Niha would use her strength to help Nisa travel farther, trusting her younger sister's knowledge of the invisible room to be accurate. If neither of them ever landed on the translucent box, Nira would tug Niha's rope and stop her from falling. Nisa would land on the ground three stories below.

Nisa carried the only other rope in her mouth for another important part of the plan, knowing all too well that if her knowledge of the invisible room was incorrect by any mental measurement made prior, she could die.

Though it was lucky for them that their landing came much sooner than expected, allowing them both to land awkwardly on top of the roof of the room.

Niha, finding difficulty in relaxing atop a floor she could not see, said, "Good thing you were right about this place."

Nisa only nodded, dropping the rope from her mouth. "Right in knowing it was here," she said, uncoiling the rope with her paws, "I didn't know it was this big."

"I guess we were just lucky then," Niha remarked. She took the next step in finding all the edges of the roof and mentally noting where the boundaries were. Nisa took an end of the rope in her mouth and walked toward the first edge her sister pointed out. With practiced teamwork, Niha lowered her younger sister downward until an edge was found. With Niha dragging the at the top moving slowly from side to side, Nisa discovered it was the bottom of the box. There was no door on this side, so they'd have to try again on another side.

The side they were looking for happened to be on the opposite side of the first wall they tried. Niha lowered Nisa slowly toward the ground, this time closer to the corner. Nisa held her teeth shut tightly around the rope. Despite the time and care they took moving around, they didn't believe they had enough time to tie the rope around either of them. Niha did already have a rope around her belly, but Nisa had no hope of holding her older sister's weight.

Nisa was relieved to finally find the door, swinging inside without so much as a glance. She instantly chastised herself for being careless enough to go in so hard-headedly.

There were no traps and no one was guarding, which reminded her that tonight was a full moon. Fenris wouldn't be guarding this room in his feral state.

Durn saw the blurred image of his sister dangling mid-air through the transparent walls of the box. Startled slightly when she vanished, he reminded himself that this was only because she found the entrance. Niha stood perfectly on-guard, statuesque, at the top of the stairs. Durn was supposed to be watching over the courtyard for "suspicious behavior," but was only interested in watching his sisters work.

Truly, he was a tad jealous at how well they worked together. Being the only male in his family, he didn't have much companionship growing up. Fenris intended on sending wolves of opposite sexes on different errands, regardless of familial relations. He would almost always end up going alone.

He remembered once going along with another male on a delivery to the fire kingdom. Fenris wished to negotiate with the fire wolves living there. A young Durn traveled closely behind a wizened male wolf by the name of Shaal. The older wolf didn't say much, other than when he was telling Durn what to do.

Shaal passed not to long ago. Durn felt a sudden emptiness, flashing back to memories of Shaal. Screams of terror broke him from his memory trance. He couldn't quite tell where it came from, but it was close. Did that mean Fenris was close? Or was the scream from something else?

Nesha followed closely behind Miguel, both panting heavily as they ran further and further around the incredible building. They seemed to be out of luck; every room they came across was locked, barred shut, or without a door completely.

Somehow they came to a laboratory on the third floor. There was no door, like many of the other rooms, only this was had been torn from the hinges.

"Let's stop," Nesha suggested, heaving.

"Right," Miguel sighed, "I can put the door back up, at least for now."

The waffle knight raised the door from the tile floor and moved to place it in the empty slot, when a small voice was heard.

"Help!" The tiny cry came from down the hall the opposite way from where Nesha and Miguel had come. Nesha stopped Miguel from placing the door, and listened. Again the helpless cry sounded.

Nesha peaked her head out and saw Pinc running toward her. "This way," Nesha called out. The shiny-headed girl ducked into the lab, and Miguel quickly shoved the door into place.

Pretending to meddle with the door, Miguel leaned over to Nesha and whispered, "Are you sure this is safe?"

"She's harmless," Nesha replied quietly. "I helped her early on and I promise she couldn't hurt a fly."

Miguel didn't buy it; how could she still be in the game if she was so soft? Regardless, he said nothing more against it.

"I'm glad you're OK," Nesha said to Pinc. They both took a seat on stools at opposite ends of the room. "What was chasing you?"

"This big, scary blue guy in a full suit of armor," Pinc tucked her legs in close, shivering from the fear of what was after her.

Nesha immediately thought of Cain. He didn't seem trustworthy from the second she heard his voice. Then again, this was more or less a fight to the death. Nesha shrugged to herself. Then she said, "I'm just glad we can all sit safely in here while Fenris has his... 'episode.'"

"Yes," Pinc agreed, "it was rather unbecoming of him to host such an event during such a time. You'd think he would have known better." Nesha nodded, but everyone went silent. Some unsettling noises were heard, the roar of the werewolf, frightened shrieks of participants almost getting caught. Pinc tried to distract any fright with banter. "Does anyone know how Fenris takes care of losers?"

Nesha was about to speak up when she heard something a little to close to the door. Her hunter instincts kicked in and she tiptoed to the door to listen.

Pinc kept talking. "I've seen strange yellow arms. They come out of nowhere and snatch up whoever gets beaten."

Miguel turned to the door, wondering if Nesha heard anything suspicious or dangerous.

Pinc, noticing both fellow combatants now had their backs turned, removed her magic wand from hiding. "Although, lately I've noticed that those arms..." raising her wand, "haven't responded properly."

Miguel felt a sudden threatening presence in the change in the little girl's tone. While he turned, he found himself being swallowed by water that seemed to come from nowhere. He managed to choke out a panicked "Nesha!" before having to gasp for a final breath.

She turned quickly to shut him up, but found him trapped in a gingerbread-man-shaped water coffin. Gasping, she went to grab him, immediately stricken with grief. Before she could reach him, grief changed to anguish, and she stopped herself. She realized that the water began freezing when she got close.

"Just hold still for a second and it should be over soon," Pinc instructed.

Nesha clenched her fist and squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears. This was her fault; she believed Pinc could be trusted. "I trusted you."

Pinc couldn't quite hear Nesha, but understood what her ice-companion was trying to say. "That was the point," Pinc giggled. Water was slowly moving across the floor toward Nesha, aiming to case her in a similar tomb to that of her loyal waffle knight. "You see the water doesn't move very fast, it never has. I need to channel all my power through this wand just to -"

Nesha didn't wait for her to finish before jumping up away from the water. She leaped across two sturdy lab tables to the opposite wall of the room, drawing her bow and an arrow as she landed. Though, she didn't bother drawing. Thinking back to the fire mage, she knew her arrows wouldn't have any affect.

Nesha simply stood, and allowed one tear to streak across her frozen cheek, leaving behind a minor crease in the trail of the hot tear.

Pinc was startled at first, but smiled now. "Don't feel special, this trickery is the only way I can catch anybody. I really am a helpless -"

"Shut up." Nesha interrupted.

The water girl was shocked at that. "Excuse me?"

"I said shut up!" Nesha clarified. I don't have many friends, even for very long, but I know when I'm betrayed."

"That's not my problem, dear," Pinc still sounded sweet and innocent, though she began feeling terrified.

"People don't tend to trust ice," Nesha explained, "thinking it's cold, cruel. They might glance and spot it's beauty, but that won't make them want to have it. They might use it for leisure, skating across a smooth surface without a care in the world. But someone has to care." She took a step toward Pinc. "Someone has to be there to watch cautiously, because of how unpredictable ice can be." Another step forward, as Pinc stepped back. "Someone has to be there to save you when the ice breaks!"

Nesha's foot fell into the thin pool of water Pinc had been moving toward her. It began freezing immediately in a chain reaction all the way up the little stream, up to Pinc's feet where it seemed to be coming from. "But it seems," Nesha continued, "that you have no one to watch out for you."

Pinc began freezing solid and let out a terrible scream. The thin sheet of ice was torturous for the little water girl, for water flowed within her and she felt frozen to the core. The cold embraced her and she felt sleepy, closing her eyes as the silent vengeance enveloped her.

Nesha fell to her knees, more tears pouring down her face. She hadn't cried like this in ages, remembering the first time when she awoke beneath that tree in Ice King's forest. She remembered that her face would heal of the creases left behind by the tears.

With luck, Miguel broke free from his water bed before it all froze solid. He rushed over to Nesha, slipping once on the icy floor but catching himself. At first he just stood beside her, wanting to say something but lost for words. Eventually he knelt down beside her and draped an arm over her shoulders. He let her cry, as she even fell into his embrace.

Nesha rested her head on his chest, feeling safe and warm. Was that bad, feeling warm? Would she be OK in the end? She didn't care, she had never had anything like this. In his arms, she thought she heard a wolf howl, but she might have imagined it.

After a few minutes, Nesha began to calm down. Miguel felt they had other things to do, so in the nicest way possible he said, "Look, I'm not much for 'feel-better' speeches, but one of us is gonna have to win this thing."

Nesha took a deep breath, remembering the challenge they faced. "Your right," she wiped at her face but ended up clearing nothing, "one of us has to win." She smiled at Miguel, who smiled back.

The waffle knight took action first, standing and retrieving his sword from the ice which froze it to the floor. Giving it a few swings through the air, he readied himself for the next battle.

Unfortunately, it would come before he expected.

The door suddenly crashed inward, bumping into a frozen statue of Pinc and slamming on the frozen floor. "Well well well," the voice came from the doorway. Nesha couldn't see him, but knew for certain that Cain was standing there. "So this is where the little pearl went. Gotta say ice queen, didn't know you had it in you... to break the rules that is."

Nesha stood. "You have no idea of what I am capable," she glared at him, then quickly drew and arrow and aimed at him. "And who are you calling 'queen'?" However, she suddenly noticed the massive shield on his left arm. If he was as fast as he said he was, she wouldn't be able to land a shot. But another fact slipped her mind.

"Put that down, precious," he chimed, "don't you know? Weapons don't work any more. I can't lose."

"Then put down yours," Miguel stabbed his sword into the floor, and Nesha thought she heard panicked cries in the room below. "We'll see who can lose."

Cain smirked and threw his hammer at blazing speed.

Miguel didn't know whether to dodge or not. He knew it couldn't hurt him, but would a hammer pass through him like anything else? He was too late to choose. The hammer connected with his face and upper chest, sending him flying backward. The initial blow seemed soft, like a pillow, but the impact against the wall said otherwise.

Strangely, a portcullis of silver bars fell to block the doorway, trapping everyone inside the little laboratory. Nesha looked to Miguel for a split second and noticed buttons on the wall. She didn't read the signs above, but in order they said "Emergency Shut Off," and "In Case Of Werewolf." Miguel had hit one or both of them, causing the room to be closed off for safety.

Nesha knew she couldn't fight Cain. She might be fast enough, but against a man a big as Cain, fully clad in battle armor, she didn't stand a chance.

"Nesha go!" Miguel commanded, crawling up from the floor. "I can't lose to this guy, he's a chump."

"What did you do, pancake boy? I've got a human to murder. I've got to get on with killing you so I can get to the roof."

"Please," Miguel put his hands up dismissively, "'Pancake Boy' was my father." His face twisted into something angrier as he lunged forward, vaulted of a lab table and drop-kicked Cain in the chest, shouting, "Call me Miguel!"

Nesha backed away as the two fell away and began their struggle. She wanted to help, but couldn't think of how. Then something else caught her ear. Out the window, on the roof to her left two floors above, she saw a wolf fly through the air with a painful howl. "Durn..."

Durn had heard Pinc's scream, and listened to Nesha crying. He wanted to jump from the roof and find her, but his big sister stopped him.

A bite to the tail stopped Durn from running, making him howl in pain. Nira yanked Durn back and threw him to the floor of the roof. "You can't leave now, your sisters are depending on you."

"We've gotten Nisa inside, now I have to go." He twisted and jumped back up, standing prepared to fight Nira for freedom.

"To help your ice friend? That's not part of the plan." Nira stepped forward to glare at Durn, believing it would make him stand down like always.

This time, Durn faced the challenge, stepping forward and pressing his forehead against his sister's. "This was the deal. We don't know the rest of the plan because Nisa won't tell us, that's up to her, but you have to let me go."

They stood like this for a few minutes, locked eyes and deep growls. Durn kept the challenge alive with strength he didn't know he had, pushing against his eldest sister's famed strength. Suddenly he remembered he softness, too, how she was the only one he allowed to comfort him the way only she could.

In this moment of the past, Nira attacked. A jerk to one side gave her the first move, allowing her to close her jaws around Durn's neck and throw. He flew a couple yards with a loud whine and crashed down farther away. Nira pounced but Durn moved quick, jumping up and clawing at her muzzle, throwing her off. He slid to one side and saw the opportunity to charge Nira, head-butting her in the side.

"I've been left out," Durn shouted, "alone, thanks to Fenris. I haven't had the chance to bond with you or the others."

Nira stood and charged again, but Durn ducked and lifted from beneath her. Again, with strength unknown, he sent her flying.

"I don't know my own sisters as well as I should," he stepped closer as Nira slowly stood, "but you've let yourself be controlled by knowledge you don't possess. Nisa controls you, and you let her."

"I have to!" Nira shouted back. "I have no choice, because I'm nothing without a plan. But that doesn't mean I'm useless!" Suddenly steam began rising from her fur as thick wavy lines painted themselves onto her. "Being alone, I don't know what that's like. But being together, you can learn about your family. And our family is very, very special."

Nira quickly bit Durn's foreleg and pulled, yanking him down. With him down she stood on him, keeping him subdued. "Each of us has something hidden, something powerful that makes us special. Nisa has her smarts, Niha's nose and ears are stronger, and me, well I'm good at getting things done." She chomped down on Durn's neck again, this time breaking the skin deep.

Durn was thrown again, this time much farther and leaving behind a dark red streak. He could feel the blood sticking to his fur. As he stood he slipped, one paw fell over the edge. He could see blood drip onto the stone of the rooftop. He heard Niha shouting directly behind him, trying to get them to stop. Then it was muffled.

He felt a warmth cover his body, even in the cold air up high like they were. He opened his eyes and saw Nira stand motionless, stunned, but still furious. Durn looked at himself, noticing thin painted lines glowing over his fur. He looked back up at his sister, everything was quiet.

"...Well that's convenient." With that, he turned and jumped from the roof. He felt like he was falling in slow motion, but didn't look back. What could he have just discovered? What, like his sisters, could possibly be special about him? Whatever it was, Nira had unlocked it by trying to kill him. He would be sure to thank her later.


End file.
